Return of the Little Vampire
by codyw1
Summary: It has been several decades since Anton saw Rudiger, the Little Vampire. Now Anton is a grown man, and not a very happy one - and an old friend decides it's time to pay a visit.
1. Chapter 1

_Characters created by Angela Sommer Bodenburg. This story is based off the continuity of the 80s TV series rather than the books. _

Return of the Little Vampire

"Hello, Anton."

Anton stood, frozen in his dressing gown in his bedroom doorway.

Rudiger was sitting cross-legged in the armchair, waiting for him. The little vampire looked exactly the same as when Anton had last seen him, more than two decades earlier. Well, of course he did.

Anton wished he could say the same for himself. "How... how did you find me?" he managed to ask.

Rudiger smiled that smile of his, that part-mischievous, part-sinister, part-smug smile. "We have our ways," he noted with some satisfaction.

"I'm surprised you recognise me," Anton admitted. Rudiger may have looked exactly the same as he did twenty odd years ago, but Anton was now in his mid-thirties – short, stubby, not much to look at. A bit like his life, in point of fact.

"It wasn't easy," Rudiger acknowledged. "You look dreadful."

"Thank you," Anton retorted. He was more amused than offended by the remark, though; it seemed Rudiger's lack of tact hadn't changed in the intervening decades any more than his appearance.

"You're welcome," Rudiger beamed.

"What... what are you doing here?" Anton asked. A chill ran down his spine suddenly. "Are you here to bite me?"

"No, I'm not here to _bite_ you," Rudiger said exasperatedly, jumping off the chair, a movement so sudden it made Anton take an involuntary step back. "Why do you always think that?"

"I don't know," Anton said, rather lamely. "So what do you want?"

Rudiger grinned that grin again. "What, I can't look up an old friend?"" He began walking around the apartment, looking at and touching everything, Anton wincing as his little hands casually brushed over his collection of antique and priceless Civil War figurines. Aside from those, though, and the framed photographs of his parents on top of the television, there was very little in the way of personal touches. "I like your place," Rudiger commented.

"Thank you," Anton said.

"It reminds me of a crypt," Rudiger nodded approvingly. "Grim and gloomy."

Anton didn't quite know what to say to that.

Rudiger looked at him suddenly, those unearthly eyes boring into him. It unnerved him in a way it never really had when he was a child. "Are you not pleased to see me then?" he challenged.

"I... I'm just surprised, that's all," Anton admitted. "It's been a long time."

"I suppose," Rudiger said vaguely. "Doesn't really seem all that long to me. Least not until I look at you, anyway."

"I'm sorry about..." Anton trailed off.

Rudiger continued his wandering around the apartment, not that there was much left to see. "About?"

"Not saying goodbye," Anton said finally.

Rudiger nodded. "I wondered about that."

Anton mentally kicked himself. His childhood friendship with the little vampire had been the most important thing in his young life. Unfortunately, he hadn't stayed that young. Rudiger had remained frozen in time as Anton entered adolescence, and the distance between them had started to turn into a chasm. The little vampire's visits to his home had become less and less frequent, and when his parents had decided to move across the country far away from where Rudiger would be able to come fly to visit him on a single night, he had just not mentioned it on the vampire's last visit. And then they had gone. It had been a crappy thing to do, but that was adolescence for you. "I guess I grew up," he admitted.

Rudiger gazed at him knowingly. "Poor Anton," he said finally.

Anton didn't quite know what to say to that either.

"How are your parents?" Rudiger changed the subject, still flitting around here, there and everywhere.

"They're... they died," Anton revealed. "Five years ago... car crash."

Rudiger stopped in his tracks. He advanced on Anton, closing in on him. God, he was _exactly_ the same. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Thank you."

The little vampire began moving toward the open window. "I'd better go."

"So soon?" Anton surprised himself by not wanting him to leave just yet.

"Uncle Ludwig and Aunt Hildegard are expecting me," Rudiger explained simply.

"Oh," Anton was again ridiculously surprised to hear those names. No doubt they were still exactly the same too, unaged and eternal. "Goodbye then."

Rudiger reached the window and looked back at him. "Would you like me to come again?"

Anton nodded slowly. "Yes... I would like that," he admitted.

"I'll see you then," Rudiger hoppd onto the window ledge, spreading his cloak in preparation for take-off. "Maybe next time I'll bring Anna."

And then he was gone, even as Anton's heart froze and the name struck him almost like a physical blow. "Anna..." he whispered.


	2. Chapter 2

It was two months since Rudiger's visit, and there had been no sign of a return appearance. Anton had almost begun to believe that it had never even happened, that he had dreamed or hallucinated the whole thing, perhaps brought on by stress. It was easier to believe that than ever now, given how badly things had gotten at work. Lay-offs, redundancies... there were even rumours the whole firm might be about to go belly-up. Anton had been facing each day with the feeling of the condemned man heading for the gallows and today had finally turned out to be Execution Day. The moment his boss, Rubbish Roger, had called him into his office, Anton figured it wasn't to give him a raise, and he'd been right.

Now Anton sat in his apartment, glass of beer in hand, wondering what the hell he was going to do.

"Anton."

Anton nearly spilled the drink all over his couch at the sound, jerking up to find Rudiger grinning at him from his bedroom door. Either he had left the bedroom window open, or he was having an embolism. At that moment, Anton wasn't sure if he really cared if it was the latter. "Rudiger," he managed to gasp when his heart stopped threatening to rip itself out of his chest in shock.

"Did I scare you?" Rudiger beamed, seeming very keen on the idea.

"Absolutely," Anton admitted.

"You looked scared," Rudiger observed with some delight.

Anton shot him an annoyed look. "Yes alright, you scared me. Good one. Fancy a drink?" he offered Rudiger a beer.

Rudiger pulled a face. "Yuck."

"Well if you don't mind..." Anton took a swig himself. "So what can I do for you?"

"I told you before," Rudiger stated, vaguely irritated.

"Told me what?"

"That I'd bring Anna next time."

There was movement behind Rudiger. Anton looked up and his heart almost seemed to freeze when Anna came into view. Like her older brother, Anton hadn't aged in over twenty years. She was still the same pretty little girl Anton remembered, the same little girl he had never quite known how to react to. He'd adored Anna, been protective of her, slightly embarrassed yet secretly flattered by her obvious crush, and even a little bit scared of her too. More so than Rudiger, really; as temperamental as he could be Anton had never been really worried that Rudiger would bite him, yet the possibility had always been there with Anna. Anna's affection had thus been warming yet also vaguely terrifying.

"Hello, Anton," Anna said, smiling softly and shyly at him the way he had never seen her do with anyone but him.

Then he couldn't see at all, because his eyes were... Oh God, was he _crying_? Anton was shocked when he heard a loud sob and realised it was coming from himself.

"Oh no," Rudiger looked at him in something akin to disgust, but Anna was on the sofa by his side in an instant, looking dreadfully upset.

"Are you alright, Anton?" Anna asked plaintively, then looked to her brother. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's old," Rudiger said with some distaste. "And he's human."

"I'm sorry," Anton managed to recover himself, wiping his eyes. "I don't know what came over me."

"Just make sure it doesn't come over you again," Rudiger warned.

"It's good to see you, Anton," Anna said warmly.

"It's good to see you, Anna." Anton was suddenly acutely aware of how small and young she was; or rather, how big and old he had become, even if she was in truth probably older than him. Still, he felt weird and awkward, like the time he'd bumped into a beautiful old girlfriend only to find that over the years she'd become overweight and unattractive – except this time, he was the one that must look awful to Anna.

"Rudiger said you were in trouble, but I didn't think it would be this bad," Anna shook her head.

Anton looked to Rudiger. "You said that?"

"He said your parents were dead," Anna replied. "I'm so sorry, Anton. You must be so lonely."

"I..." Anton opened his mouth to deny it, but the words wouldn't come. He knew immediately how hollow they'd sound anyway. Anna would have seen through him in an instant, and Rudiger always saw through everybody.

"We came to invite you home," Rudiger noted. "To the crypt. Uncle Ludwig and Aunt Hildegard would love to have you."

Anton blinked. "They would?"

"Of course," Anna beamed. "Aunt Hildegard still talks about Thor."

Anton actually laughed at that. "I... I guess I could come," he said. "So long as it's not too far away. I have to be back for – " he broke off, suddenly realising there was nowhere for him to go in the morning anymore.

Rudiger shook his head. "No, you don't understand."

"We want you to come live with us," Anna told him happily. "Uncle Ludwig's got a coffin ready especially for you. Aunt Hildegard picked it out herself. Only the best for her favourite gypsy."

Anton looked between them in utter shock and disbelief. "You... you can't be serious?"

Anna looked hurt.

"Come on, Anton," Rudiger said impatiently. "It's not like you've much to stay here for."

Now that hurt. "But..." Anton spluttered. "But I'm _human_!"

Anna smiled widely and a little darkly. "That can be fixed," she said.

Anton's eyes widened. "But... I... I can't!"

Anna took his hand. "Oh Anton, why ever not?"

"You want me to become a vampire?" Anton gasped.

"She always has," Rudiger smirked.

Anna was looking at him the way she used to when he was a kid, the look that both warmed and embarrassed the hell out of him. God, did she still have a thing for him, even after all these years? "Anna, I... I'm _old_," he said plaintively.

"Don't you remember what I told you all those years ago?" Rudiger asked. "Vampires _choose_ the age they want to be. We're stuck with it forever, so it's only fair, after all."

"But... but..." Anton was struggling to object, struggling to find a reason to say no, to stay human, yet all he could see was his miserable apartment, his failed love life, his failed career, and his dead parents.

And then there was Anna, smiling at him in warmth and understanding. "Close your eyes, Anton," she said. "It'll just take a minute."

Swallowing nervously, unable to believe he was doing this, Anton closed his eyes. Soon after he felt Anna's lips on his neck, then the sting of her teeth. _I guess the baby teeth finally grew out_, he thought vaguely. Then, as she began to suckle on his neck, _I guess she doesn't drink milk anymore either_.

Finally Anna withdrew. "You can open your eyes now, Anton," she said.

"Is that it?" Anton asked, surprised. "When do I choo – " Anton opened his eyes, and stopped in shock. His stocky thirtysomething body was gone. He sat there next to Anna, suddenly not much bigger than she was, the sofa practically dwarfing them both, suddenly ten years old again.

"You already did," Anna smiled.

"I brought you a cloak," Rudiger produced one from inside his own. "We're not far from here. Aunt Hildegard and Uncle Ludwig will be pleased to see you."

"Lumpi too," Anna nodded.

Anton wrapped the cloak around him, his nostrils filling with the smell of rantz, the memories flooding back. Even as those memories became more and more pronounced, other memories seemed to be rescinding. Everything in the last twenty odd years, the whole of his teenage and adult life, seemed to be disappearing in a cloud of fog. He could still remember it, parts of it anyway, but they seemed fake somehow, like something he'd seen on the television. Someone else's life, nothing to do with him.

"Come on, Anton," Anna took his hand as Rudiger made his way to the bedroom window. "Let's go home."


End file.
